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Snapshots of the Year in Energy: 12 Awesome Photos from 2012

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1. Secretary Chu at the Detroit Auto Show

In this January 10 photo, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu checks out the 2013 Dodge Dart at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. Several electric vehicles at the auto show highlighted many of the Energy Department's investments in electric vehicles, which have helped rebuild the auto industry in the U.S.

Image: Hantz Leger, Energy Department

Date taken: 2012-01-10 12:00

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2. LED Lights on the National Mall

On January 30, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu participated in a lighting ceremony that featured newly-installed LED lights along the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The LED technology is expected to reduce lighting energy by up to 65 percent, while providing a well-lit atmosphere to the National Mall’s 25 million annual visitors.

Image: Quentin Kruger, Energy Department

Date taken: 2012-01-30 19:20

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4. High-Energy Density Physics Research at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

At the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, scientists are using the Facility for Advanced Accelerator Experimental Tests, also known as FACET, to research accelerator science and high-energy density physics. SLAC's particle accelerator may be two miles long, but researchers at FACET are working to develop more compact versions that could be widely used in medicine and industry -- particle accelerators are used for cancer research, processing computer chips, and even producing the shrink wrap used to keep your Thanksgiving turkey fresh. This February 28 photo shows SLAC research associate Mike Litos with FACET’s transverse deflecting cavity, a special section of the accelerator that helps measure the temporal properties of the accelerated electron beam.

Image: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Date taken: 2012-02-28 12:00

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3. Women in STEM at Argonne National Laboratory

To encourage the growth of women in STEM careers, a group of girls in the eighth grade were invited to learn about career opportunities in science and engineering during the annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. On February 23, division director Amanda Petford-Long and other Argonne mentors observed a trial run of the racecars.

Image: George Joch, Argonne National Laboratory

Date taken: 2012-02-23 10:00

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5. President Clinton and Secretary Chu at the ARPA-E Summit

Attendees at the Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) third annual summit heard from top leaders in business, research and government, who offered their insights on how to break down commercialization barriers and bring the energy solutions of the future to the market faster. In this photo, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu greets President Bill Clinton before Clinton’s keynote speech, which stressed the importance of government investment in research that will help move the world toward a cleaner and more secure energy future.

Image: Ken Shipp, Energy Department

Date taken: 2012-02-29 03:00

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6. The Daya Bay Neutrino Detector

While they might look like drops of water or soap bubbles, these colorful figures are actually photomultiplier tubes that line the walls of the Daya Bay neutrino detector. Neutrinos and antineutrinos are neutral particles produced in nuclear beta decay when neutrons turn into protons. Lawrence Berkeley and Brookhaven National Labs and a number of physicists at U.S. universities played leading roles in the Daya Bay experiment, from designing the detectors all the way through to analyzing the data gathered.

Image: Roy Kaltschmidt, LBNL

Date taken: 2012-03-08 12:00

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7. Solar Panels at NREL in Golden, Colorado

In this June 4 photo, Brian Lawson and Kenesaw Burwell install solar panels at the Energy Department's Research Support Facility -- a highly efficient building at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado.

Image: Dennis Schroeder, NREL

Date taken: 2012-06-04 12:00

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8. Vice President Joe Biden at NREL

Vice President Joe Biden talks with staff at the National Renewable Energy Lab's Process Development and Integration Laboratory (PDIL). The PDIL brings together technical experts from NREL, the solar industry, and universities for collaborative research.

Image: Dennis Schroeder, NREL

Date taken: 2012-06-04 12:00

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9. Grand Prize Winners at the National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition

The National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition inspired nearly 300 university teams across the country to create new businesses to commercialize promising energy technologies developed at U.S. universities and the National Laboratories. After pitching their business plans to panels of judges at the regional semifinals and finals, six teams advanced to the national competition for a chance to compete in the grand prize pitch to a panel of experts. In this photo, the members of the grand prize winning team, NuMat Technologies from Northwestern University, stand with Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Heather Zichal (far left) and Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman (far right).

Image: Ken Shipp, Energy Department

Date taken: 2012-06-13 12:00

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10. Nuclear Power -- On Mars

On Monday, August 6, 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover arrived on the surface of Mars to gather geological and environmental data to determine if the planet has ever had the potential to support life. This photo was taken by a navigation camera located toward the back-left of the Curiosity rover, and features part of the rover's nuclear power supply. Beyond the rover itself, Curiosity's exploration reveals the desert-like terrain of Mars's Gale Crater.

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Date taken: 2012-08-06 12:00

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11. A Banner Year for Wind Energy

On August 14, the Energy Department and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory released a new report highlighting strong growth in America's wind energy market in 2011, underscoring the importance of continued policy support and clean energy tax credits to ensure that the U.S. remains a leading producer and manufacturer in the booming global wind industry. In this March 7 photo, wind turbines are generating energy at the Power County Wind Farm in Power County, Idaho.

Image: Energy Department

Date taken: 2012-08-14 09:00

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12. A New Home for the Empowerhouse

On December 4, 2012, the Empowerhouse Solar Decathlon team, along with partners and community members, completed the installation of a permanent, two-family home in Washington, D.C. The team, comprised of students from Parsons the New School for Design, partnered with Habitat for Humanity to donate the finished and updated duplex home to two local families in Washington, D.C. The home was originally showcased as part of the U.S Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon 2011.